Imamu Baraka, Wall of Respect Portrait
Maker
Cowherd, Darryl
American, b. 1940
Datec. 1967
MediumGelatin silver print
Dimensionsimage: 9 in x 13 1/2 in; mat: 16 in x 20 in; paper: 11 in x 14 in
Credit LineGift of the artist
Object number2018:137
About the ArtistDarryl Cowherd played an essential role in Chicago’s Black Arts Movement during the 1960s and 1970s. Photographing primarily in the south side of Chicago, Cowherd’s photographs depict the city during its rise as a center for Black culture. Cowherd was also involved with the creation of the Wall of Respect, a mural designed on the building on the corner of 43rd Street and Langley Avenue on Chicago’s south side. The mural incorporated art by fourteen artists that contained images of notable African American figures from Harriett Tubman to Malcom X. The wall functioned as a symbol for Black liberation until 1971 when the building was burned down. Cowherd’s work is included in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago and was included in the exhibition, The Time is Now!, at the Smart Museum, Chicago in 2018.
